Kotlar: Slovakia Won't Support Current Draft of WHO Pandemic Preparedness Treaty

Bratislava, May 9 (TASR) - Slovakia won't support the current draft of the new WHO's Pandemic Preparedness Treaty or updated International Health Regulations (IHR), TASR was told by Gov't proxy for investigation into COVID-19 pandemic management Peter Kotlar (SNS), who took part in talks on the new treaty held in Switzerland's Geneva on Thursday. The Health Ministry added that the drafts are still developing, but it won't support any document that would weaken the position of Slovakia as a sovereign state. "The submitted drafts of both documents [...] are unacceptable to the Slovak Republic, mainly because of their vagueness and unauthorized interference with the sovereignty of member states as well as inappropriate curtailing of human rights and fundamental freedoms," declared Kotlar. Kotlar referred this way to the duty of the treaty signatories to draft national pandemic prevention plans and public health supervision in line with IHR or grant power to declare, regulate and end pandemic state to the WHO Director-General. In Kotlar's view, it is also unacceptable to introduce a "global monopoly" by the planned creation of the Global Network of Supply Chain and Logistics. Kotlar met with WHO head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, with whom he exchanged views on health, ethical and legal issues. mf